Lawyers for Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia University will face off in court for the first time Thursday over a $4-million buyout clause in the former coach's contract.

Rodriguez is unlikely to be there. But the lawyers will appear before Judge Robert Stone for a motions hearing in Monongalia County Circuit Court in Morgantown.

WVU sued Rodriguez December 27 after he resigned to take the head coaching job at Michigan. Since then, both sides have engaged in a bitter public feud.

WVU is demanding a full payment of the buyout clause, but Rodriguez says it's the university that broke the terms of his contract. He says the university failed to honor a variety of verbal promises, including one to reduce or eliminate the buyout.

WVU denies such a promise was made and insists it was working to accommodate the coach's other demands when he quit.